


Wise Girl

by ivory_p3ach3s



Series: Finished PJO Fanfictions [5]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Annabeth Can't Cook, Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace Friendship, Annabeth has OCD, Divorce, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jason & Percy Brotp, Percy is a Dork, Percy likes video games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-28 06:51:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10078388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivory_p3ach3s/pseuds/ivory_p3ach3s
Summary: Annabeth Chase is sure that she is going to hate her new roommate.  She only accepted him because she needed someone else to pay the bills with her.  Annabeth thinks there's no hope for enjoying her new roommate especially since, 1) his entry sounded completely childish and 2) he's a dude.Percy Jackson is excited to be moving out of his parent's house and into one of his own.  After hearing his roommate application was accepted, he moves all the way down from Long Island to a small town in California.  Along with this new journey for Percy, he also discovers that he have to woo Annabeth into liking him a bit more than what his outer layers show.[based on an original book]





	1. I Go By Annabeth, That's It.

**ANNABETH**

"Hi, package for... Mr. Jackson?" The delivery man motioned to several cardboard boxes, filled and looking close to exploding. He handed me his clipboard.

"He's moving here," I replied. "Can I sign for him? He's still in Idaho."

"Are you his wife?"

"Heavens, no," I replied, disgusted. "I'm just going to be his roommate." I sighed, signing the clipboard and dragging the boxes in. I turned around and observed the over-filled boxes.

There were four total. One was small and said, KITCHEN on it. Great, he was taking up space in _my_ kitchen. Two of them said BEDROOM, and I assumed that stuff would not come out of the room. And finally, the last one said, FRAGILE; GAMES. Whether it was board games or video games, I wasn't sure but, I didn't like the idea of either of them anyway.

I owned a PS4 and was protective over it. If my new roommate decided to touch it, I might snap all his finger off and feed them to my cat. But, if he had an Xbox, we might need to reassess the situation and decide where he's going to live. I _cannot_ _stand_ Xbox Live.

I pushed all four boxes into my guest bedroom and closed the door, satisfied with the calm click. Everyone wondered, if I didn't want a roommate, why was I getting one? Obviously, they're disrupting my life. I think everyone could tell because I have been extremely negative the past few days.

His name was Perseus Jackson and I hated _everything_ about his profile. Of course, you can't judge a book by their cover but, I read the book and I've decided that I really just don't like him. Don't get me wrong, I bet that all his friends will say that he's 'cool' and all that but, I refuse to believe it.

Apparently, he likes video games, dogs, and broccoli. Okay, one, dogs are disgusting and if he ever wanted to get one, he wouldn't be able to. Landlord says no pets and I'm already hiding a cat out here so, no. Two, who even likes broccoli? I say this earnestly, he is almost as bad as my ex.

He planned to arrive yesterday but, he said something was wrong with his car so, he was stuck in Idaho Springs. I could easily take my truck up there for a few hours and bring him down but, I have more important things to do, like work.

I check my watch to see it's already noon, which means I have to leave if I'm going to be on time for work. I just hope that Perseus doesn't arrive when I'm at work. I want him to touch nothing. Especially if he's going to track mud through the house dragging in all his boxes.

I really hope.

\------

**PERCY**

"Finally," I yelled, cheering as I neared a small white house on the corner of the street. There was no car parked out in front. I wondered if Annabeth had already left for work. I parked on the curb and got out. I had a key that she mailed to me so, I walked up to the house.

It was nicer than I thought. The paneling on the sides was a pristine white color and the shutters were a deep red. The door was teal, which matched the flowers. She kept up her yard work and you could tell. The grass looked trimmed and green. I wondered if she hired someone for this.

I opened the door and was not surprised at how nice and organized it was in the house. She was either super organized or had OCD of some sort. I guessed the latter. Before entering the rest of the house, I took my shoes off, just like my mom taught me. This _was_ technically my house but, I still felt like a guest.

I tiptoed through the house, opening each door and getting used to the layout. This door was the bathroom door and this one was a closet. That one, I guessed, was her bedroom and this final door is my bedroom.

I swung the door open to see four of my boxes in a neat pile next to a stripped bed. Some folded sheets sat on the end, along with two pillows. I smiled at the preparation and walked back out to my car to start unloading.

\------

**ANNABETH**

There was a car parked out on the curb when I pulled into my driveway. Suspicious, I went to unlock my door to see that it was already unlocked. Was Perseus here, or did someone break in? I tiptoed down the hallway to Perseus' room to hear some music blasted through the house. I had to admit, it wasn't bad music. But, nonetheless, it was still loud and could hurt your ears. I peeked my head into the bedroom to see my new roommate, putting things away and unpacking some boxes.

"Ahem," I said, clearing my throat. Perseus whipped around, jumping and dropped a snow-globe in his hand. I reached out to catch the globe, not wanting it to hit the floor.  But, the glass didn't smash when it hit the ground.

"Oh! Annabeth! Hi! You scared me. You're home from work." Perseus smiled and I picked up the surprising plastic snow-globe, observing it's innards. It was a small replica of the Twin Towers. I handed it back to him and looked around more. He filled the shelves she put up with more trinkets of travel and collectibles.

Tape stuck posters to the walls and nails drove into the wall to hang frames of pictures and diplomas. The entire room was together. It actually looked nice.

"Hello, Perseus. Yeah, I just got back. That explains the slacks and blazer, correct?" I held out a hand and he laughed, taking it and giving it a shake.

"Well, glad that you're home. Would you give me a hand on these sheets though? I swear, fitted sheets will be the end of me." He was friendly. It had to be some sort of trick though, right? I rolled my eyes and pushed Perseus out of the way, pinning down the sheet within 30 seconds.

"I'm going to start dinner," I said, leaving the room.

"Thank you," Perseus called before blasting his music louder again.

\------

**PERCY**

"Thank you," I called, before turning my music back up. I continued to put things away and pin more posters on the wall. I hung up my Green Day poster up right next to my Kingdom Hearts II poster. My room was coming together more and more. I smiled.

"Dinner," Annabeth's voice rang down the hallway about thirty minutes later. I turned off my music and shuffled down the hallway in my socks, sliding into the dining room. Annabeth set two bowls on the table, both filled with spaghetti. I took my seat in front of a bowl and began to dig in.

Annabeth sat down and also began to dig in, eating her food at a quick pace.

"So, Annabeth, is there anything else I can call you?" I asked, swallowing some bread. "Like, do other people call you Anne or Annie?"

Annabeth looked up at me and just glared. She finished swallowing and then wiped her mouth on a napkin before speaking. She definitely had manners.

"I go by Annabeth, and that's it. I would prefer that you didn't call me anything but that. Thank you." She continued to eat and I watched her, glancing away every time she looked up. One, she was so interesting, I felt the need to observe her and two, she was attractive. I wondered why she wasn't married or at least dating someone.

"So, Perseus. My parents are coming to town so, I will be with them all day tomorrow. _Please_ don't burn the house down," she said, standing up with an empty bowl. The woman walked over to the sink in the kitchen and began to wash out the bowl, scrubbing it. She then dried it with a fast face and put it back on the shelf. She had a system.

"One, just call me Percy.  And two, yes, ma'am. No house burning will happen tomorrow," I said, also standing. I walked to the sink and began to wash out my bowl, noticing that there was no dishwasher. It was different. I dried the bowl off and placed it in the cabinet. I soon joined Annabeth, who climbed onto the couch and turned on the TV.

"So, Annabeth? I've noticed that... You have a system, of some sorts. Mind explaining it to me?"

Annabeth muted the TV, and turned to me. That's when I saw the cat in her arms. I was going to ask about getting a dog but, I guess not now. She sat cross legged in pajamas that I didn't even notice her change into.

"Well, I leave every morning for work at seven o'clock on weekdays. Saturday, I do yard-work and Sunday, I go to church. I get home from work at four and usually watch Netflix. I have my own List on here so, don't add any of your shows or movies. Make your own profile if you want to use Netflix. I do hope you'll pay for half of it.

"I take night showers so, feel free to take one in the morning. Don't touch any of my bathroom products. They're all set where they stay. If you want, I'll start labeling things in the fridge for what belongs to who. Dinner is always at six thirty so, if you miss, sucks for you.

"Lights out at ten and I hope to not hear anything after that. This is still _my_ house but, we are sharing at the same time. That's pretty much it. If you have any questions, just ask." Annabeth un-muted the TV and began to watch some documentary.

"Alright," I said, tired from the day and the sudden wave of rules, "I'm heading off to bed. I'm pooped. Goodnight." I began to walk off.

"Night, Percy," she replied. I walked into my room and collapsed on the bed, exhausted. I didn't even change before I fell asleep, awaiting tomorrow anxiously. 


	2. Is He Your Boyfriend?

**ANNABETH**

"Mom!  Dad!"  My parents walked out of the hotel to see me, standing next to a taxi.  I waved and their eyes lit up as soon as they saw me.  My mother ran up quickly, catching me in a crushing hug.  She kissed my cheeks and smothered me until my dad pried her off and caught my head, giving me his traditional noogie.

"Hey, Annie!  How's life down here?  Quiet?"  We all climbed into the taxi and I told the driver where to go while my dad spoke to me.

"Life's great," I replied, a bit breathless.  "I work for a law firm down on State Street.  It's small but, it's very popular.  I also have been keeping Thirteen under control."

"Aw, that cat," mom said, reminiscing over my childhood pet.  "That darn cat always got into my books.  I'm surprised that she was still alive after she ate all those blueprints."  We all laughed until the taxi stopped, signalling that we had reached the mall.  We all got out of the car and I walked in front of my parents, waving my arms in the air.

"Welcome to City Creek Center!"  I said, proudly.  I grinned and so did my parents.  I hadn't seen them in so long that, it was nice.  

For hours, we walked around, catching up and eventually settled in a pizza place for dinner.  I listened to my mom as she talked about the safari that my parents had went on and how a lion at my dad's hat.  Suddenly, my phone interrupted the story.

"Oh.  It's Percy," I said, picking up my phone.  "Sorry, give me a second."  I answered the phone and placed it next to my ear.

"Hey, so, I realized you're not coming home for dinner so, I went ahead and fed your cat a can of her cat-tuna stuff and then made myself a sandwich with normal tuna.  I hope that's okay.  I just wanted to check up as well, make sure that you weren't kidnapped or something," He said, laughing.

"Okay, yeah.  That's fine, Percy.  Just make sure you cleaned up.  And, no.  I wasn't kidnapped.  I'll be home around nine, alright?"

"Yeah, okay, cool.  Alright, have fun with your parents."

"Thank you, Percy.  Goodbye~."  I hung up the phone and placed it back into my bag and turned my attention back to my dad, who had stopped about his story of winning a race with a cheetah.  But, he didn't continue.  Both my mom and him stared, a smile creeping onto my dad's face as my mother grimaced.

"Who's Percy," my dad asked slyly.  Oh dear.  It was this again.

"Is he your boyfriend," my mom asked protectively, like a mother would.

"No, guys.  I needed a roommate to help pay rent and Percy was the only application.  I'm not a fan but, he was the only option."  I leaned back into my chair and continued to eat my pizza slice.

"Why don't you like him, Annie?"  My dad asked, curious.

"He's just not...  I don't know.  He likes dogs and loud music and I don't know how well he cleans up after himself because, he's only been here a day.  The only good thing about him is that he likes video games like me but, the bad thing about that is, he's an Xbox user, not a PS4 user."  I was tempted to continue rambling about Percy but, I knew that this was the only time I would get with my parents until Christmas.

"Enough about me," I said quickly.  "Tell me more about that cheetah."  And, my parents knew not to press the topic any further.

\------

**PERCY**

"Hey, Grover.  Yeah, life is good down here.  I moved into my new room and Annabeth seems cool, just a bit strung up, y'know," I said over my headset.  I sat behind the Xbox I set up next to Annabeth's PS4 and was playing Halo with all of my old NYC dudes.

"Ah, women are always like that.  Just ignore it.  She'll get better.  You're an invader in her home, man."  Grover was always the best to talk to when you had problems.  

"You're probably right.  She'll be home in a bit and I haven't had dinner yet so, I'm gonna go make dinner.  I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, man," Grover replied.  "Adios."  I quit the game and turned off my system before getting up and walking into the kitchen.  I had already had a tuna sandwich but man, I was hungry.  I searched through the cabinets and fridge until I found a box of donut holes.

"She won't miss these, right?  Maybe I should just take one and ask for more food later.  Yeah, let's just take two instead."  I pulled the bag out of the cupboard and pulled out two donut holes before sealing the small bag shut again and putting it away.  I turned back to the living room to see her cat, which was still nameless to my knowledge, sitting and glaring at me.

"You act _exactly_ like Annabeth, you know that, right?  So uptight."  I waved my hand and passed it to my room, where everything was finally done.  I had unpacked everything for my bedroom.  Now, I had one box left with an assortment of bathroom and kitchen items.  I decided to unpack those.

I brought all of my kitchen things to the kitchen and looked through all the drawers to find two empty ones.  I might as well use them.  I placed all my cups and bowls in one along with the two plates I owned.  I then put any and all silverware and utensils into the other one, not really organizing.  Just throwing stuff in.  

Finally, I looked at the clock to see it was about nine o'clock.  Annabeth would be home soon.  I could go to bed, right?  As long as I locked the doors and closed the windows.

\------

**ANNABETH**

The house was dark and Oliver didn't turn on any lights outside.  I had to admit, I was a bit upset but, I had to pass it off as he didn't know.  And, my mind was a bit too occupied at the moment.  It was one thing that my parents had told me while they left back to their hotel.

_"Annie...  Your mother and I, we're getting old and, we want to see our grandchildren before...  We go.  Get out there, beautiful.  You would do great."_

Of course, this bothered me in the worst ways.  I started to think it was caused by Percy calling me while I was enjoying my Saturday with my parents but, could I blame him?  Just a little bit.  I could bet you one million dollars that that sentence would run through my head for the next week at the least.  He was such a seaweed brain, the idiot.

But, I couldn't let it get to me.  I had a job and a house and a responsibility to be an adult and survive.  I was independent. 

So, that's what I was going to do.  

I was going to survive.

 


	3. I Called My Parents, Too

**PERCY**

We had reached the one month period of living together and, I finally think that we both had begun to wear and tear.  We were nearing the time of utilities payment and I had just gotten my job, meaning I couldn't help her pay the bills.  And, that caused a bit of contention.

"Percy!  This is why I told you to get a job the _first_ week you got here!  Now, I have to pay the entire thing!  That involves our eating money and the money planned to buy me new shoes and you to repair your laptop."  Annabeth groaned and slammed her bedroom door, leaving me to fend for myself in the hallway.

"It's not my fault!  Not all of us can get a job as easily as you can, Annabeth!  And, why is it so bad?!  You're a lawyer for crying out loud!"  I stood in the hallway, waiting for her response.

"It's March, Percy.   _That's_ why it's so bad.  March is the worst month for any lawyer!  It's after all the divorce papers are over and the calm before the summer season!"  Annabeth swung the door open and glared at me.  I couldn't stand her glares and her dirty looks anymore.  I turned around, scoffing and stumbled into my own room, slamming my door.  I heard her do the same, her room being right next to mine.

This was kind of our first fight.  Of course, we had fought about who gets to use the TV and her questioning on why I ate all the ramen she bought.  I had accused her of using my toothpaste when actually, I just always forgot to put the cap on.  It was dumb stuff that we bickered about.  We had never had a full blown argument, which means, we hadn't seen this side of each other ever before.

But, I had to fix this.  It _was_ my fault, which means I couldn't let Annabeth pick up the pieces.  And, I had to make sure that this wasn't the thing that got me kicked out of the house.  We may just be roommates but, I have a feeling that I could do a lot more damage by this right now than anything else.

\------

**ANNABETH**

I was acting like some teenage girl who couldn't go to prom or something.  I had slammed the door and flung myself onto my bed, scaring the cat off.  I broke down, physically and mentally.  A lot of people saw a strong woman on the outside and, I had tried to keep that up on the inside, just to stay sane but, I always had days where I just cried.  Not because there was stress or danger but, just for the fun of it.  I mean, crying was healthy for you, wasn't it?  And, little did most know, I had the worst anxiety.

I didn't mean to snap at Percy.  I had gotten him for a roommate to help me pay bills and when _that_ wasn't fulfilled, it worried me.  I didn't want to be evicted or have to worry about bills.  I had to worry about my job and about what my parents had said nearly a month ago.  They wanted me to meet guys and talk to them.  My mother set up a date for me and one of my good childhood friends tonight but, I couldn't go without money.  

I had standards for myself and one of them was that I _always_ split the check.  I didn't agree with most dating roles as in, the man picks up the girl, treats her, pays for her and all that.  I preferred that we met at the stated place and I paid for at least half.  But, of course, I didn't know how to handle myself now.

"Thirteen, what do I do?"  I grabbed my cat and held her while I cried.  She was my normal keeper and she was the one who kept me sane for the longest time.  I had moved out when I was seventeen, graduating when I was a junior.  I was twenty-five now, which meant that I had lived alone for eight years.  I had the visits with my parents and sometimes my siblings would come over or I would have a friend come over.

I think the hardest part about getting a roommate was just that, though.  I had lived alone for so long and then, I just had another person join my life and I have to alter everything I do now.  We're sharing food, space, and money.  Anything he gets paid will be put into my bank account and I'm letting him take whatever he wants out of the account, meaning I just gave him more than enough trust.  

I had only known Percy for about a month, knowing the important things more than anything else.  I knew his background and that he was a good guy but, that was it.  I didn't know his family or his favorite color.  I knew that he lived on Long Island his entire life and then dropped his life to move here with me, to help me pay bills.  I mean, I felt like we had both sacrificed something.  And now thinking about, it made me a bit upset at myself for getting after him.

\------

**PERCY**

"I realized that you had to make a sacrifice coming here, too and, I just wanted to say that I was sorry for how I've been acting this past month."  Annabeth and I sat in our separate rooms, listening to each other through our walls, talking.  I wondered if she mimicked my position, sitting on the floor by the wall, listening better.

"Annabeth, it's okay.  I'm sorry for snapping back at you.  If it makes it any better, I rang up my parents and they said that they could help with the bills this month."  I had expected a thank you or a scolding for loaning money but, the response was bizarre and so much better.

She laughed.  It was as clear as a bell, genuine laughter.  She wasn't mocking or rude about it.  But, it sounded like a tear-filled laugh.  She had cried before our talk, by what I heard and now, she was laughing.  It was absolutely bogus.  I didn't understand why she was laughing.

"What's so funny?  There's obviously nothing on my face that you can see to laugh at."  She just continued to laugh, which made me burst out in chuckles, confused but, more at ease.  Finally, she calmed down, probably crying again from the laughter.

"I called my parents too."  And with that, we just both laughed again.  But, this time it wasn't strange.  It felt right.  It helped the tension and negative energy wash away as we both laughed, crying because our sides hurt.


	4. Teriyaki, Please

**ANNABETH**

"So, tell me, why can't I call you anything but Annabeth," he asked.  Percy and I both sat on the couch, watching some Criminal Minds, eating ice cream.  It was my treat but, I was happy to offer it because, we were able to pay all the bills and our parents back as soon as we both got paid.

"I've been thinking about that actually," I responded, licking my spoon clean.  I muted the TV and turned to my roommate, watching him.  I had never actually spent time observing Percy before this moment.  He had dark hair that was quite short yet shaggy.  And, even though he was on the other side of the couch, I could tell his eyes were a light green, a sea green colour to be exact.

"Oh, have you," He replied.  I rolled my eyes and took another bite of my rocky road.

"Yes, now, shush.  My parents call  me Annie so, if you did call me that, I would hit you very hard.  My friends and siblings call me Annabelle so that is _very_ off limits."

"Am I not a friend?"

"Hush, Percy!  I wasn't done," I whined.  "Now, Bethany, Belle, and Bee are off limits because those are cow names and I'm allergic to bees.  I hate the name Beth and Buffy was a vampire slayer.  So, with those out of the way, you can call me a nickname, if you can figure one out for me."  I continued to eat my ice cream and Percy just stared at me, not responding.

\------

**PERCY**

She was pretty, I had to give you that.  She had really golden blond hair that was fairly long and some interesting grey eyes.  It was a bit contrasting.  But, beauty aside, she was picky and obnoxious a lot of the time.  

"So, then what do I call you?"

"I told you, you figure that part out," she said, licking her spoon like some posh.  I rolled my eyes.  Until it hit me.

"What's your middle name?"  Annabeth simply turned to me, her jaw dropped.  I didn't know why.

"Why on earth would you call me my middle name?"  She put her ice cream down and folded her arms.  In the time that I had lived in this house, I had realized that Annabeth became defensive and liked to argue when her arms were crossed.  It was a lawyer thing.

"Because, it's either _that_ or Annabeth and, I'm ready to give you a nickname.  You have no right to not give it to me.  It's a name."

"I don't have a middle name," she retorted.  I rolled my eyes.

"What is it, Annabeth.  I prepared to throw ice cream at you."  The girl just looked at me, not sure if I would.

"You wouldn't.  You'd have to clean it up," she said.  I lifted up my spoon.

"Oh, that's not my biggest worry."  I knew that she hated messes so, this was my perfect opportunity to get the name.  In retrospect of five seconds, I had realized that this was dumb to fight about but, I couldn't call it a bluff quite yet.

"No, I don't have one!"  Annabeth said, sounding defeated.  

"Fine, Wise Girl.  Be that way."  She really didn't want ice cream on her couch but, I wanted a nickname.

"Absolutely not, Perseus Jackson!"

"What,  _Wise Girl_?  What's wrong with it?!"

"Just- don't!"

"Why do you sound so disgusted with it?  That's a nice nickname."

"Someone I hate ruined the name.  I hate the name so much, I refuse people to call me it.  It brings back too many bad things."  She said this with so much passion in her voice, I knew it was genuine.  I knew that she wouldn't like it.

"You're going to like that name, Annabeth.  I'm going to help you.  You can't avoid something you're going to have the rest of your life."  I set my ice cream down and she looked up, her eyes narrowing.

"Percy, don't you dare start calling me-"

"Wise Girl, do you want to play some COD?"

\------

**ANNABETH**

And so it starts.  He had called me Wise Girl for about a week and I had begun to loathe Percy just a bit.  Not only did her use my only weakness against me but, he hasn't stopped, even after my more threatening demands.  I don't understand why he didn't stop.

I was obviously uncomfortable about it yet, he had decided to continue it anyways.  Great.  I used to love the name Wise Girl and went by it all the time in Elementary and Junior high school but, as soon as I reached the 10th grade, my entire perspective of "Wise Girl" changed because of one person.

_"So, you like the name Wise Girl?  Alright.  I'll call you that."_

I had had a crush on one boy in high school named Luke Castellan.  He was tall and handsome and first glance.  Lots of girls liked him but, the best part was that he was a dork.  Lots of dorks at our school were shy and tense but, Luke was outgoing and _proud_ of his dork-om.  But, eventually, it got bad.

I noticed that all the stories he told me were tall tales, and were entirely made up but, he wouldn't ever confess to it.  He had admitted to surviving in the Canadian woods for two weeks by himself when he was nine during _the winter._ I had totally believed him until he started to tell me about it less and less.  Then, I realized it was just for popularity.  I realized he was kind of a freak.

Luke became obsessed with other things like D&D, dressing up every day the club went on at school.  He wore full armor and one time, metals had to suspend him from school for trying to make a full functioning metal crossbow.  He was crazy.  He wanted power and popularity at school, in life.

He was the one who called me Wise Girl.  During eleventh grade, I preferred that people call me Annabeth or at least Annie but, he continued to call me Wise Girl, just to annoy me.  And now, I couldn't go by Wise Girl anymore without feeling the loathe I felt for Luke.

"What do you want from that Chinese place, _Wise Girl_?" Percy asked.  I glared at him from the table to where he stood on the phone, asking for delivery.  He made a face.

"Teriyaki, please," I replied through gritted teeth.  It was getting on my very last nerve and I was wondering when he was going to give up.

\------

**PERCY**

One month strong.

I had somehow remembered every day to call her Wise Girl and, I was almost forgetting that her first name was Annabeth.  I could tell that she was a bit iffy on the first two weeks but, I figured that the word "Wise Girl" had become ambient noise to her.  She wasn't as rude or snappy as the first two weeks and I could tell she was adjusting.  I was just hoping that she was coming to accept the name.

You could never tell what she was thinking.  She always had a poker face on and never liked to show anything on the inside where as, my feelings were as clear as glass.  People could see right through me and, I didn't care because, I had nothing to hide.

She knew I enjoyed it and I was hoping that I was helping and not becoming her daily nuisance.  I just had to figure out how to pry her open, without making it feel like she was a machine. 

When I first met Annabeth, she definitely worked like a machine, not showing much emotion except for hate but, after three months with her, she was finally looking humane.  I knew I was doing something to her.


	5. Case Closed

**PERCY**

I had never seen Annabeth this upset about something, which worried me.  I had lived with her for a total of six months now and this, this was bad.  As soon as she had gotten home, she ran into her room and slammed the door, shutting both the cat and I out.  And, she didn't want to talk about it.

I didn't know how to consult a worried woman, as she and I hadn't fought largely since the bills issue.  The way I addressed that was getting money for the problem.  Now, I didn't know what the problem was and if I could solve it.  I felt bad for the poor girl.

You could hear her sobs echo through the house.  I could've gone on, playing my video games or going to work out but, I had to stay.  I had to make sure she was okay I mean, that's what roommates and potential friends did, right?

"Annabeth," I said, tapping the door lightly.  More sobs and cries.  They hurt me to listen to them.  I tried the doorknob and found the door open.  I peeked into her room to see the girl in her work uniform, hurled onto the bed, crying into a pillow like a teenage girl.  I didn't know what was wrong but, I felt it my duty to figure out.

\---

**ANNABETH**

My parents were getting divorced.  

And, I was their divorce lawyer.  

Or at least my mom's.  Both had come to me, pleading for me to help them, and I had to choose one.  Of course, I had to choose my mother because, she was filing the divorce.  Apparently, she had argued with him more than enough and she was done with it.  My father wanted to plead to not getting divorced and everything was just very mixed up.

Little did they know, their divorce wasn't going to hurt just them but, me and my siblings.  I knew that my older brother, Travis and my younger sister, Thalia were going to flip and get angry at my parents.  But, guess what I could just do?  Sit here and cry.

Right at this moment, Percy sat on my bed, shushing me and trying to get me to stop crying and tell him what was going on.  He obviously didn't know how to deal with women.  And so, I cried for at least an hour before sitting up and talking to him.

"Wise Girl, what's going on?"  I was surprised that I had gotten used to being called Wise Girl.  It was almost painless by now.

"My job...  I-It sucks," I said before bursting into more tears.  I grabbed my duvet, throwing it over my head and just weeping like a child.  Another ten minutes passed, Percy probably getting ready to leave before I finally spit it out.

"I'm my parent's divorce lawyer."

\------

**PERCY**

"Oh..."  That's all I could reply is, oh.  I felt awful but, could put myself into a similar boat.  I uncovered the crying girl with her duvet and gave her a hug.  Annabeth tensed, not comfortable with this level of touch.  The most we had ever had contact was a shake of the hands or handing something to the other but, never a hug or even a high five.

"It's okay, Wise Girl.  My dad left when I was little..."  That's the best I could offer.  I could only think of one other thing to say to Annabeth.  "It's not your fault, Annabeth.  I hope you know that."

"Their court is tomorrow.  W-would you...  Maybe come?  To watch?  Just in case?"  Was Annabeth Chase actually asking me to come somewhere with her?  In this vulnerable state, the girl was opening up to me but, I couldn't tell if I should get used to it or ignore it and wait for the trauma of the event to pass.  

"Yeah," I replied.  "No problem, Wise Girl."

\------

**ANNABETH**

"Case closed," The judge yelled.  I swallowed the choke in my throat and exited the court room, on the verge of tears.  I couldn't cry.  Lawyers didn't cry.   _I_ didn't cry.  I was a strong, independent, and incredible woman...  Who wasn't going...  To cry.

I had always known to become friends with one place in the building for crying, the ladies room.  The habit was so unusual for me, especially since my personality was so called, "robotic."  I didn't see the appeal of calling me that but, I guess it was there.

"Annie?"  That name had become so different for me, reserved only for family.  I had suspicions that Percy had told everyone to call me Wise Girl, especially since I heard it everywhere I went.  Now, anything related to Annabeth was simply alien for me to hear, especially when I only heard it a few times a year.

"Thalia?"  I turned from the mirror to see my little sister, run up and crush me with hug.  She knew I only cried when I was truly upset.  The shorter girl searched my eyes, a worried look on her face.  She wiped my cheeks off and gave each one a kiss.

"It's okay, Annie.  We're going to get through this together."  Thalia gave me a gentle smile and then hugged me.  I dug my face into her shoulder, her short dark hair tickling my nose.  I heard the door open but, I didn't look up.  

"Annie!"  I heard Travis' voice.  I was suddenly caught in a sibling sandwich, and I honestly didn't even care.  We all just sat in the women's room, hugging.  I was the only one crying, at least vocally.  And, the thing that surprised me was when one other person joined the group.

"Percy," I breathed, feeling another weight around me.  Thalia and Travis moved over so that Percy could join the group hug.  I laughed and he joined in, smiling.

\------

**PERCY**

That laugh.  It was always so present.  When she didn't laugh, she seemed empty but, the laugh seemed to fill her and myself.  As cheesy as it sounded, it always sounded like bells.  Not like the heavenly bells and weird angel chorus in a church but, simply the bells you played in Elementary school.

I had a feeling that Annabeth and her family would be able to get through the divorce, one day at a time, one step at a time.


	6. The Carnival

**ANNABETH**

"The carnival," I simply stated.

"I _do not_ do clowns, Wise Girl.  No thank you."  

"Oh come on, Percy," I said, nudging the boy.  He accidentally hit on of the sticks on his controller, driving his Mario Kart off the track.

"No, _Wise Girl_ ," he huffed, nudging me back.  But, I could control my car.

"Come on, Percy!  It'll be fun," Thalia yelled from the kitchen.  Both my siblings were staying at my place until my parents got their things situated.  Both kids lived with my parents so, they didn't want to be there while everything was tense.  Let's just say that the house had accumulated a lot more Cheeze-Puffz and Mt. Dew.  It was a bit crazy.

"Shut up, Thalia!  I'm not going to the carnival!  You three go for some 'Sibling Time,'" he offered.  Thalia and Percy had immediately connected, becoming friends as soon as they met.  I just hoped that they wouldn't start dating because, ew.

\------

**PERCY**

"I'm just going to be third-wheeled," Travis protested from the chair next to Annabeth and I.  I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on winning Mario Kart but, Annabeth continued to nudge me.

"I don't do clowns and, Annabeth, stop it.  You're such a cheater."

"The entire carnival isn't focused around clowns and, I just tend to lose my balance a lot.  Stop making fun of my problems.  Gosh," she mocked.

"Fine," I yelled after I placed 12th in the race.  "I'll go to your stupid carnival but, just tomorrow.  Now, leave. Me. Alone."  I stood up and walked into the kitchen, where Thalia had been making a Nutella sandwich.  I flicked her ear, and she hit me back.

"Ow!  Quit it!"  I had seen Thalia as a little sister since I met her.  She was so much shorter than me and, so little in general.  She reminded me of the little sister I always wanted when I would watch all those cartoons as a kid.  I didn't know why but, I thought having a baby sister would be fun.  And then I got one.  And it was less fun.

Thalia was short and spunky.  She had short dark hair and these really blue eyes.  She and Annabeth were not similar looking at all except for maybe their noses.  But, Travis didn't look like them at all.  He was tall.  Like, very tall and he had brown hair.  I assumed his eyes were either green or blue.  I hadn't figured it out yet.

"Why don't you like clowns, Perce," Thalia asked, both of us exiting the kitchen.  All four of us shared the couch and some Cheeze-Puffz, which I don't think Annabeth was excited about, since there were already cheesy finger stains on her couch.

"You look at some fat man with paint all over his face and his over-sized feet and you tell me you exited your childhood fine."  

"Okay then, Mr. Clown-Hater."

\------

**ANNABETH**

"Guys," Travis said, eating _my_ cotton candy, "They have a Ferris wheel that might close if it rains.  Let's go on it _now_." He ran into line and Thalia, Percy and I followed, all excited for the fair.  Percy seemed alright, not having seen a clown yet but, I could tell he was on high alert.  He just munched on his kettle corn like some disturbed mouse.  I was so confused on why  clowns were scary.  But, I didn't want to press him so, we just stood in line.

"Do you think four people can fit on one cart," I asked, not wanting to go on the Ferris wheel by myself or with just one person.  I knew going with Travis would be a mistake, for he would most definitely shake the cart and make me scream.  Big brothers, an essential to your adult life.  Thalia would just comment how high up we were and how hard the ground would be if we were to fall.  About how Percy would react to my fear of heights, I didn't exactly know.  He could easily say, "Cool" or he could tease me for the rest of the time we lived together.

"I think they're only two-seaters.  Pick your poison, Wise Girl."  Even my siblings had come to start calling me Wise Girl instead of Annie.  I guess I left Annie when the whole divorce thing had happened.  No one had called me Beth for the longest time and, both my parents had come to calling me Annabeth when they talked to me, showing our relationships had fallen a bit.

"Um...  Percy?  Come with me?"  Percy shrugged and I sighed on the inside.  I guess he was chill with it for the most part.

We got into our cart and Thalia and Travis in the one behind us.  My phone vibrated and I picked it up, seeing a text from both Thalia  _and_ Travis, texting me a winking face.  I didn't understand but, I guess I should just ignore my excuses for siblings.

The Ferris wheel cart climbed and climbed, finally reaching the top.  I thought it was going to continue up but, it stopped, jolting the cart and shaking us a lot more than I was comfortable with.  A scream escaped my lips and I tried to stop but, I held onto the car with my life, shaking like no other.  Percy had his clowns, I had my heights, both fears probably just really irrational.

"Whoa, Annabeth.  It's fine.  We just stopped.   _Why are you afraid of heights,_ "He mocked.  I smacked his arm, shaking the car more.  

"I'm fine, Percy.  Now, shut up."

"Alright then," he said as he began to swing the car back and forth.


	7. You're Perfect

**PERCY**

Karma sucked a lot more than I had anticipated.  Of course, because I shook the car on the Ferris wheel, Annabeth was making sure that I went into the "Haunted Fun House".  It was rated as child-friendly, but I seriously doubted that.

I'm sure that Annabeth was upset with me.  I had used her weakness against her.  Did I feel bad?  Not much.  In fact, I laughed because, even though she was freaking out, you could tell she still enjoyed being able to do something like that.  Maybe she didn't realize it but, I did.

The halls in the fun house were covered in disfiguring mirrors and all I heard were wicked laughs and sad clown music.  I didn't understand why I had to come here.  Well, I did but, I didn't at the same time.  Revenge always has a price.  I wonder what Annabeth's price would be.

"This is fun," Thalia chorused.  Travis nodded in approval and tried to hide his snickers with some coughing.  I rolled my eyes and continued, wondering why I was in the front of the group.  I was the first to be jumpscared but, at least I wasn't the last to be chased.  

"I wish we had string," Annabeth said behind me.  I laughed a little bit.

"Why?  To make friendship bracelets and sing kumbaya?"  Annabeth rolled her eyes and glared, still obviously angry at me.

"No, you idiot.  There is a Greek myth about Theseus.  He went into a labyrinth to fight the minotaur and princess gave him some string to help him out of the maze."  

"That was the worst explanation of Theseus and the Minotaur ever," Thalia complained.

"This isn't history class, Thals.  This is a labyrinth that we have been stuck in for an hour," Annabeth retorted.  

"Has it really been an hour," I asked.  Annabeth nodded and I turned back to face the front, walking through cautiously.  The walls and the maze continued to spin and turn and twist and make more and more dead ends like the maze was moving itself.

\------

**ANNABETH**

I got tired of that stupid maze fast.  Percy was obviously freaking out as, he became extremely dizzy and we had to stop to sit him down.  Travis gave him a sip of his slurpee before we stood up again and began to walk.  Eventually, a man in a clown suit came out from his hiding spot to let us out the back of the maze as, the fair was closing for the night.

So, at the moment, we all sat in the back of Thalia's car as she drove us home.  Percy just stared out the window like some dramatic soap-opera model.  Travis sat in the front, flipping through all the radio stations, driving Thalia crazy.

"Pick _one,_  Travis!  There are plenty of fine songs on the radio!" Thalia shouted.

"I can't find my station," Travis yelled back, jarring Percy out of his little drama scene.

"Then stop touching my radio!"  Thalia slammed her hand on the radio power button, shutting off the entire system, letting us drive in silence.  Percy gave me a worried glance but, I shot back a look telling him not to worry about it.  Thalia and Travis constantly argued, being the youngest and the oldest.  I was generally the neutral ground and didn't get into their arguments.  They could handle themselves.

We pulled up in my driveway and all walked into the house, tired and ready to just sleep.  I shared my bed with Thalia while Travis slept on the couch.  I walked over to the resting Travis as he covered his tired body in a blanket, ruffling his hair.

"Night, T.  Sleep well."  Before I walked away, he caught my hand.

"Night, Annie.  Don't let the bedbugs bite."  I smiled and he let go, letting me walk to my room.  I noticed Percy had already went and closed his door.  I shrugged and walked into my room, where Thalia was already finished putting on her pajamas.  She jumped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Hey, Thalia," I said, changing into a night t-shirt.  She merely hummed in response.  "What did you and Travis mean, texting me on the Ferris wheel?"  Instead of hearing a normal response, Thalia just snorted, expressing that I was an idiot.

"Annabeth, they were winking faces, which usually means, good luck in the context that Travis and I sent them.  We ship you and Percy.  You like him, don't you?"  Thalia sat up and I climbed into bed, pulling the covers up over me, warming me from the AC vent above my head.

"He's just a friend and just a roommate," I replied.  "I can't like anyone right now, either.  I have to worry about work and paying bills and being an adult."

\------

**PERCY**

"He's so nice, though," I heard Thalia protest through the wall.  I think the girls forgot that I could hear all their conversations.  So far, since Thalia and Travis and moved in, I had heard about the celebrities Thalia liked, all of Annabeth's celebrity crushes, and some weird romance novel that they both liked a lot.

"I thought he liked you," Annabeth replied.  I could imagine the girl, on her side, facing away from Thalia.  I know Annabeth wasn't liking the topic because her voice was agitated.  It was the same tone as after we got off the Ferris wheel or out of the fun house.  She wasn't in a good mood at all.

"No, no, no," Thalia said, laughing.  "I think he sees me as a little sister and I see him as a big brother, which is true.  Percy is most definitely a big brother to me."  I was glad that Thalia saw me that way.  And, she was right.  Thals was like a little sister to me.  She was just that spunky and slightly annoying person that everyone needed in their life.  

"But, if he did like me, why would he?"  Annabeth sounded so uncertain.  I never understood why girls asked themselves that.  Like, any boy is going to like for some aspect, even if it's just to be friends.  I never understood why girls self-esteems were so low.  Like, magazines and society just ruined some girls and sometimes, it sucked to be a guy when that happened because, you knew that you had to help but, you didn't know how because guys are idiots.  

"He would like you for your smile and your personality.  I bet he likes your eyes, too.  Those are so pretty.  And, you're very organized.  That's a good trait to have."  I could tell Thalia was being encouraging but, I don't think it would help very much.

"I had braces three times, Thals and I am so strung up.  I don't know how a guy could deal with that.  And, my eyes are grey, the most boring color on the entire planet.  And, I'm organized because I have OCD.  That destroys my life all the time because I'm a perfectionist."  I heard Annabeth sigh after that and I matched her sigh.

"You're exactly like Aunt June, Quinn.  She was strung up but, she got married.  She has brown eyes but, that's one of the things that Uncle J loves about her.  And, Aunt June is bipolar, depressed, ADHD, and OCD.  She has been married for almost fifty years now and their marriage is so happy.  And, her kids love her too."  

"You're perfect, Annabeth," I whispered before tuning out the conversation and falling asleep.


	8. Do You Want Me To Drive?

**ANNABETH**

I had lived with him for at least a year now and, I had to admit, I think I might've liked Percy.  Thalia and Travis had left just a week ago but, Thalia texted me constantly, asking how it was going with Percy and how I was doing, having to hold in all my "sudden desires", whatever that meant.

Christmas was nearing which meant three very important things.  One, that meant snow and I don't think Percy's car was going to drive well which means that he _must_ use my truck, which was going to utterly suck.  Two, I had to buy him a present, which was going to be extremely difficult since, I can't go to GameStop.  Percy owned practically every single game known to man.  Three, we obviously weren't going to spend Christmas at my parents house so, I had to ask Percy if his parents were coming down for the holidays.

"Do you know what today is, Wise Girl?"  Percy asked, leaning over the table to observe the taxes I was doing.  I glanced up to meet Percy's face about three inches away.  By this time of the occasion, I was used to the "Too-Close-For-Comfort" situations.

"Um, Tuesday?"  I looked back at my calculator and continued to punch in numbers, crunching them and feeling like an adult, literally the worst feeling in the world.

"It is December twenty-first, four days from Christmas.  We need to get like, three more beds in the house before tonight because, I think you forgot about our guests.  And, they'll be here in like, four hours."  That's right.  Percy  _did_ invite his family.  And, I invited Thalia and Travis, with Travis bringing his fiance.  

"Shoot," I said, standing up.  Taxes were about finished.  I would do that later.  "Okay, so it's your parents, Travis and his fiance, Mona, and how many siblings do you have?"  I looked at Percy as we put our shoes and coats on, getting ready to race to Walmart.

"Two and, only two are coming, Abbie and Tyson so, two beds for them.  And, I think Thalia can sleep on the couch.  So, we need like, five beds?  We can just get a whole bunch of blow-up mattresses, right?"  I looked into my wallet and counted how much cash I had and which card I had.

"Uh, yeah.  As long as you help pay, we got this."  We both left the house, locking the door to immediately fall into about a foot of snow.  I cursed under my breath while Percy took a long breath in and then sighed, smiling.  I rolled my eyes and waddled to my truck.

\------

**PERCY**

"Just, FYI, we need to go to GameStop.  I figured you would know anyways but, now you would know that your present is a game," I voiced from the passenger side of the car.  Annabeth looked over and smiled.

"As long as you know which game I want and/or don't have."  I noticed her grip tighten on the steering wheel as we drove through the streets and I felt bad for the girl.  I knew she didn't like dangerous environments and a slippery road was one.

"Do you want me to drive?"  Annabeth and I exchanged glances before she nodded and pulled over carefully.  She got out of the door and I slid over the seats into the driver's seat, the truck still running.

"You could've just gotten out of the truck," She said, pulling herself in.  

"I'm good," I replied, driving away from the curb.  We drove to the nearest Walmart and rushed in, seeing the chaos that was Pre-Christmas Fever.  We ran through to the camping gear and picked up four queen sized blow up mattresses before speeding to check-out.  Everyone let us to the front of the line to let us scan our _four_ things, contrary to their 15+ items.

And then, to GameStop.  I was sure she was getting me a game because, gaming was a passion.  I owned most games so, I was interested to see what she was going to get me.  I doubted that it would be easy for her but, I think she liked taking up challenges.

"So, Wise," I asked, looking at all the PS4 games.  "Did you try out the Fallout series?"  I picked up the remastered version of Fallout New Vegas, showing it to her.  The girl laughed and pulled the game from her pile.

"I'm already getting it for myself.  I have all the Fallout games after that.  But, Percy, do you own all of the Bioshock games?"

"They're remastered for PS4, not Xbox.  So, no, unfortunately."

Then, do you want them?  You can play them on the PS4, it's not just mine anymore."  Annabeth smiled her normal smile that everyone adored from her.

"Really?  Sweet!"  I picked up the girl in a hug before letting her go awkwardly and turning back to the games, blushing.  That was a dumb move, Oliver.

\------

**ANNABETH**

Instant-Blush activated.  I smiled and walked away to the Wii games, observing which ones they had.  I had loved the MySims series and was tempted to buy a Wii just for the fun of it.  It was Christmas and everything was super cheap.

We bought all of our things, the Wii included and all the games which equaled about a lifetime of playing hours.  Percy drove us back home where I put on some Christmas music and we began to decorate the house and blow up the mattresses.

I took the Tree out of my closet, setting it up on it's little plastic stand.  It was only about three feet tall but, I still liked it.

"Um, no," Percy said behind me.  I looked at him in question.  "No, we're going and buying an actual tree.  You keep decorating, I'm going to that tree farm on State Street," he said, putting on his boots and coat.

"Percy," I tried to protest.  He shut me up every time.

"I'll be back," He said, grinning.  I rolled my eyes and the boy left me to decorate and sing by myself to Michael Buble and Bing Crosby.   I sang my heart's content and put sheets and pillows on the mattresses.

"I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS," I yelled, singing along to Bing.  I laughed at myself as I made hot chocolate, anticipating the Jackson family and Thalia.  I was so ready for the Christmas.


	9. Thanks, Santa

**ANNABETH**

I couldn't sleep.  It was astounding at how dumb it sounded but, on Christmas eve, as a 25 year old, I could not sleep.  So, I just laid in my bed, watching the alarm clock blink out that it was only 1:30 am and that I had another seven hours to go until I could get up and enjoy Christmas with my guests.  Dang.  Maybe hot chocolate would help me fall asleep.

I sat up in my bed, tip toeing over Thalia and Percy's sister, Abbie.  She was a very nice girl and just a bit younger than Percy and I.  I tiptoed out into the hallway, making sure none of the floorboards squeaked.  Sally and Paul slept in the living room so, I just had to make it into the kitchen and be able to close the door and the small shutters over the island that divided the room.

I crept in and realized the shutters and door were already closed.  My job was so much easier.  I gently swung the door open to be surprised with Percy, who was scared enough to drop four pieces of silverware and a metal tin of cookies.  We both cringed and I quickly shut the door, running to the shutters to see the Blofis' sleeping soundly.

"Percy," I hissed, "What are you doing?!"  The boy had a blue waffle hanging from his mouth as he picked up the utensils and the cookie tin.

"Nuthin," He replied, spitting his waffle into the garbage.  He set the other things on the counter and I flipped the light on to see the larger mess.  My palm literally met up with face and I groaned before grabbing a washcloth wetting, wiping down the counters.

"I just wanted to make hot chocolate," I mumbled, finishing up the counters.

"Here," Percy said, handing me a steaming hot mug.  I took it and raised an eyebrow, suspicious of what could be in the mug.  The past four days, Percy and Thalia had been pranking Abbie and I, thinking it was absolutely hilarious.  I had washed whipped cream out of my sheets seven times now.

"I didn't realize it was peppermint.  I only took one sip of it.  Nothing else happened.  Don't worry.  It's Christmas eve for goodness sake, Annie."  He took a candy cane from the jar on the table in the room and slid it into the cup, smiling.  I sat down on the floor of the kitchen, too lazy to go back to my room.  And, I didn't risk waking up my sister and Percy's family.

The boy picked up a different mug and slid down the cabinet, sitting next to me.  He held under my nose and I smelt the pumpkin powder he had bought earlier in the month. 

"So, you're a pumpkin boy, alright.  I can deal with that."

"And you're a peppermint girl," he said, holding him mug up for a cheers.  I clinked the mug and reached up, turning off the lights in the kitchen, not wanting to attract more attention.

"What is your favorite thing about Christmas," Percy asked after about ten minutes of silent sipping.  I thought about it.

"Well, when I was a kid, my parents would always make us brush our teeth and then drink some orange juice before opening presents.  It was really gross but, I'm pretty immune to the taste now."  I chuckled a little bit, sighing and closing my eyes, leaning my head back against the cabinet. 

"What about you, Perce?  Any funny Christmas stories?"  I glanced at the boy, who was also leaning his head against the cabinet behind us.  He chuckled.

"So many.  We do a nativity every year and, my sister refuses to be the angel or Mary and, since I'm the youngest, I get to be one of them every year.  Especially now since I'm an adult, it's more fun for them to watch."  Percy laughed and I just giggled, trying to imagine him in some white bath robe or holding a baby doll, entirely not amused.  I laughed harder at this.

For hours, we shared stories and laughed until finally, I was getting really tired.  I didn't want to go back to bed, being too lazy so, I just ever so slightly laid my head on Percy's shoulder.  We were good enough friends, right?  He seemed pretty tired and out of it, too so, I felt comfortable with it.  He leaned his head on mine and, we both fell into a very short sleep.

\------

**PERCY**

"Thanks, Santa," I said, stretching.  My phone had woken both Annabeth and I up, making us look around.  It was eight o'clock, which meant that everyone had thirty minutes to wake up and get to the tree before opening Christmas presents.  Otherwise, they would be mercilessly left out.

I got up, pulling Annabeth up with me.  We both put the kettle on again to make some more hot chocolate on for the rest of the family.  She opened the shutters to look into the living room, where Sally and Paul lazily sat, talking to each other.

"Morning," Annabeth said in a sing song voice.  My parents looked up at her and smiled, waving and greeting back.  She pulled my phone from the counter and hooked it up to the speakers, playing some festive music to hopefully get the others out of bed.

Slowly, one by one, Thalia, Travis, and Abbie came out.  They all sat in the living room, talking.  I picked up each mug and brought them out to people until it was just mine.  We all sat in the living room, talking and chatting, going way over eight thirty and making ten when we began to open presents.

I watched as my family and Annabeth opened their presents, laughing and enjoying the Christmas morning.  I opened all my presents, getting several games from Annabeth, some socks from my parents, money from my older sisters, and left over Chinese from Thalia from last night.

After the presents and goofing off the rest of the day, Christmas was finally over.  My parents had gone to bed, I offered Travis my bed and Thalia to sleep in Annabeth's bed as, we wanted them to actually sleep good for once.  And so, it was just Annabeth and I.

"Merry Christmas, Wise Girl," I whispered, the girl leaning her head on my shoulder, having _another_ cup of hot choco.  That was at least her eighth.  

"Merry Christmas, Seaweed Brain," she said, sipping her drink.  

I raised an eyebrow.  "Seaweed Brain?"

"Yup."  A simple answer.  She closed her eyes and sat, basking in the lights of the Christmas tree in front of her.  I knew it was risky, especially for Annabeth but, I wanted to try.  I leaned down, ever so slightly and simply gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

And it was simply enough.


	10. Happy New Year! (THE END)

**ANNABETH**

I was _so_ cold but, Percy insisted that we stand outside to watch the fireworks our neighbors were doing.  I was wearing my pajamas, which meant fleece pajama pants and a button up top.  I had a coat on but, I was still freezing.  It was snowing on the already gathered four inches.

"I'm ready to go inside if they're not going to light the fireworks," I complained, shivering.  

"Give them five more minutes."

"We can watch from the window, Perseus!"

"You don't hear all the cool booms then," he whined.

" _Oh,_ you can hear them plenty inside," I replied through gritted teeth.  One thing I had noticed about Percy while living with him for a year was that he was stubborn.  And he didn't like sharing his fries but, that was besides the point.

"Percy, I'm tired," I said in a whiny tone.

"Five minutes," he hissed.  I ' _humphed'_ and sat, watching the snow twirl and dance around.  Suddenly, blue sparks shot into the sky, bursting into a cloud of yellow dust.  Percy hollered and hooted.  I smiled and watched as the next firework went off, green smoke dusting the snow and then exploding into orange and purple flames and sparks.

Twenty minutes later, the fireworks subsided and we both shuffled back inside, cold from the blizzard outside.  I stripped off my wet coat and flopped onto the couch, warming up under a blanket next to the fire.  Percy walked into the kitchen and came back with a thermos filled with peppermint hot chocolate.  He handed it to me and I smiled.

"Happy New Year, Seaweed Brain," I said.  I had adopted the nickname after I enjoyed calling him that during Christmas.

\------

**PERCY**

"Happy New Year, Wise Girl," I replied, sipping my PSL flavored hot chocolate.  We both sat in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth.  I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her close, kissing the top of her head.  I had done that several times over the week and Annabeth finally didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, Wise Girl," I asked.  The girl turned towards me in response.  This was my time to shine.  

I stood up, dragging the girl with me.  She groaned getting up but did so anyways.  Now was the time.  There was no going back now.  I slowly lowered myself on one knee, letting Annabeth stare at me quizzically.

"I know this is going to sound so bizarre but, I really really like you.  Like, more than like you.  I love you, Annabeth.  Would you..."  I paused, taking a deep breath in.  "Would you marry me?  I mean, I know it's no big speech and it's me just in my pajamas, having spilt so much hot chocolate today and I may have accidentally ruined Mario Kart by getting a waffle in the Wii-"  I continued to ramble.

There was no screaming or crying.  There was no noise except for the gentle purr of Thirteen and the crackle of the fire.  Annabeth just looked at me, and for the longest ten seconds of my life, stared as I silenced, dying off quietly.  The fire cast shadows on her face, so worthy of marveling over.  And with her calmest voice and probably a better sound than her clear bell laugh, she replied.

"Yes."


End file.
